Rwanda To Receive Critically Endangered Rhinos From European Zoos
A few months after Rwanda received 19 rhinos from South Africa, the land of a thousand hills is set to receive five other rhinos from three European wildlife safari parks. Five rhinos, three females and two male rhinos are to be transferred from safari park, Dvur Kralove in the Czech republic, Flamingo land and Britain and Ree Park Safari in Denmark to Rwanda’s Akagera national park. The endangered rhinos will first be kept in Czech park to allow them get used to each other before they are transferred to Rwanda. The Rhinos are expected to reach Rwanda in June 2019, which is good news for Rwanda’s conservation and tourism sector. Rwanda Development Board has already finalized signing the memorandum of understanding with the European Association of Zoos and Aquaria (EAZA) and Akagera national park is yet to sign the agreement in acceptance of the yet to be received Rhinos. The management of Akagera national park and EAZA is yet to sign the deal in agreement with the plans. The re introduction of black rhinos to Rwanda is a strong response from all involved institutions to deal to restore the devastating population of Rhinos in Africa.
The yet to be introduced rhinos will make strong contribution to the overall sustainability of these critically endangered species. The existing rhino population at Akagera national park. This will with no doubt add value to what Rwanda already has. The integration with existing rhinos that we have is a good thing for the ecosystem. The transfer of five rhinos at once will be the biggest translocation of rhinos from Europe to Africa. At first, the five rhinos will be kept separate from the 19 Eastern black rhinos already Akagera national park from South Africa last year. Once both rhino groups settle in Rwanda, they will be mixed and allowed to interbreed to increase their population
This will make a total of 24 rhinos in Akagera national park giving hope for an increased number of rhinos in the near future. Rwanda is making a comeback for the rhinos after over 15 years of non-existence. The entire population of rhinos had been wiped away by the 1994 Rwanda genocide, which put tourism on a stand as well as claiming the lives of many innocent lives mainly of the Ttusi tribe. The whole world has about 900 subspecies of black rhinos 90 of which living in 22 European zoos. The international Union for conservation of nature lists black rhinos as one of the critically endangered species, which were one at the verge of extinction. Dvur Kralove has the highest concentration of rhinos in Europe with over 16 eastern rhinos.
The resolution of large scale re introduction of rhinos in Africa was first discussed two years a go between safari park Dvur Kralove zoo in Czech Republic and Veronica Varekva an avid advocate of wildlife conservation. Rhinos are greatly threatened species, which were one at the verge of extinction. Poaching is one of the major reasons for the decrease of rhino in the wilderness to the point of disappearance. Another common threat to rhinos is habitat loss where local people encroach on the forest to expand their agriculture and settlement land. Criminal syndicates hunt down the endangered rhinos to supply the traditional Asian medicine market from their rhinos.
Despite Rwanda’s past history associated with 1994 genocide, the land of a thousand hills has presently settled and is one of the safest countries on the continent for the rhinos. Much as most people have known Rwanda for her exceptional gorilla tours, the country offers much more beyond mountain gorillas to meet and exceed every visitors travel expectations. Besides, rhinos, the civil conflicts in Rwanda highly affected rhinos in the same park (Akagera) but fortunately a separate effort are underway to restore lions in Rwanda. The recent re introduction of rhinos and lions make Akagera a home to the big five game and a best spot for game viewing.
Rhino tracking ranks as one of the best wildlife experiences and a dream for most travelers. Book a safari today, meet face to face with these critically endangered species in their natural habitat and enjoy an encounter with these species.